Scr
ipture StudyThe Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity– Cycle C
Proverbs 8:22-31 (Psalm 8:4-9) Romans 5:1-5 John 16:12-15Overview of the Gospel:
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As in recent Gospel readings, the setting for this Sunday’s Gospel is the Last Supper in the upper room in Jerusalem. It is part of Jesus final discourse which spans chapters 14 through 17 of John’s Gospel.•
Jesus has just confirmed to his disciples that he is going away to a place to which they cannot follow (John 13:33; 14:1-3). He tells them, however, that it is to their advantage that he go away (verse 16:7) as he will then send them the Holy Spirit (verses 14:25-26), who will accomplish many tasks (verses 8-11).•
The main task of the Holy Spirit will be to take what is Jesus’ (that is, the things he wants to teach us), and declare it to his Church (verse 14), in effect, picking up where Jesus left off after his ascension into heaven. He can do this because the Spirit, like the Father and the Son, is God—the third Person of the Holy Trinity.Questions:
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What will the Holy Spirit do when Jesus sends him (John 16:8-15; CCC 729)?•
How do we know that the Holy Spirit is not just an “impersonal force,” as some groups teach, but a Person—God, the third Person of the Holy Trinity (see the First Reading; the GospelReading, verses 13-14; CCC 243, 252-255, 258-59)? Can you lie to an impersonal force (Acts 5:3-4)? Does an impersonal force speak and hear (Acts 13:2-4, 21:10-11) or be grieved by our actions (Ephesians 4:30)?
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How does the Second Reading show how all three Persons of the Trinity are active in our sanctification and our salvation?•
The Trinity is often referred to as a mystery. What is the difference between when we speak of a spiritual mystery such as the Trinity, and when we speak of, for example, a “mystery novel”?•
How does the “Spirit of Truth” differ from the other spirit who attempts to influence and indwell mankind (John 8:44, 13:26-27; CCC 392, 2482)?•
Where do we hear the voice of the Spirit of Truth today? Does it make sense that the Spirit would speak definitively through the Church and the successors of the apostles rather than to individuals to interpret on their own? Why or why not?Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 202, 689-90, 813, 731-32
Closing Prayer
Our Lord does not come down from Heaven every day to lie in a golden ciborium. He comes to find another heaven which is infinitely dearer to Him - the heaven of our souls, created in His Image, the living temples of the Adorable Trinity.
-St. Therese of LisieuxDaily Marriage Tip for May 26, 2013:
“Everything that the Father has is mine.” (John 16:15) The same can be said for spouses. This sounds nice and fair until you talk specifics, like my paycheck, my time, my toothbrush… Is there anything you don’t want to share?